Resources and their Use

Question 1

How did Pyman (VLE, 2017) summarise a discussion on educational productivity?

Answer 1

Generally the greater the level of centralised accountability the more embedded the culture of educational productivity and the importance of the effective & efficient use of resources

Question 2

What is adequacy?

Answer 2

Ensuring that an institution has sufficient funds to meet its objectives.

Question 3

What is horizontal equity?

Answer 3

Where similar needs are given similar resources.

Question 4

Centralised government spending leads to…

Answer 4

…increased equity.

Question 5

What is the difference between equality of opportunity vs equality?

Answer 5

Equality of opportunity means being able to make the same choices.

Equality means receive the same resources/allocation/income.

Question 6

What is educational productivity?

Answer 6

The amount of inputs used to achieve the amount of outputs.

Question 7

What is this a definition of?

Taking an output as a given and mainly being concerned with minimising the cost.

Answer 7

Internal efficiency.

Question 8

Increasing equity in higher education funding would lead to what?

Answer 8

National development

Question 9

Regarding efficiency, what are often considered to be an institutions outputs?

Answer 9

Often exam results, but could be thought of more broadly e.g. employability.

Question 10

What is the downside to parents contributing towards their children’s education?

Answer 10

Increases inequity.

Question 11

Why should the state contribute to education?

Answer 11

1. Equity - or educational opportunities are determined by parental income.
2. Efficiency - education has external benefits for society e.g. a more productive workforce

Question 12

Which concept is educational productivity related to?

Answer 12

Efficiency

Question 13

What is vertical equity?

Answer 13

Where those with greater learning needs receive more resources.

Question 14

What is efficiency?

Answer 14

An institution’s inputs against its outputs i.e. cost against its outputs.

Question 15

How did Glynn (1993) describe value for money?

Answer 15

Striving to do the best you can with the available resources.

Question 16

What are the downsides of a cost-sharing model associated with higher education?

Answer 16

May lead to inequity if the funding isn’t sufficient.

Question 17

What is technical efficiency?

Answer 17

The relationship between a combination of inputs and the resulting outputs.

e.g. 2 students enter 2 different schools with the same prior of achievement - this would test the technical efficiency of the respective institutions.

Question 18

What is this?

The amount of inputs used to achieve the amount of outputs.

Answer 18

Educational productivity

Question 19

Who described value for money as this?

Striving to do the best you can with the available resources.

Answer 19

Glynn (1993)

Question 20

What are the two main forms of equity?

Answer 20

• horizontal
• vertical

Question 21

What is a common cost-sharing model associated with higher education/

Answer 21

Current UK model based on parental income

Question 22

How would Levacic (1997) define internal efficiency?

Answer 22

Takes the output as a given - it is mainly concerned with minimising the cost.

Question 23

Who offered this definition of effectiveness?

The extent to which an organisation meets its objectives regardless of cost.

Answer 23

The Audit Commission (1984)

Question 24

What is economy?

Answer 24

Aquisition of resources at the lowest costs.

Question 25

In countries where the state cannot raise enough tax revenue to provide free education (e.g. Kenya), what has the World Bank suggested?

Answer 25

Parents pay fees to:increase efficiency (by expanding the provision).

Question 26

Who differentiates between internal and external efficiency?

Answer 26

Levacic 1997

Question 27

Who said…

‘Generally the greater the level of centralised accountability the more embedded the culture of educational productivity and the importance of the effective & efficient use of resources’?

Answer 27

Pyman (VLE, 2017)

Question 28

What did Levacic (1997) say regarding efficiency?

Answer 28

She differentiates between internal and external efficiency.

Question 29

What is value for money?

Answer 29

Something which is both efficient and effective.

Question 30

What could be tested in the following scenario?

2 students enter 2 different schools with the same prior of achievement.

Answer 30

Technical efficiency.

Question 31

What is external efficiency?

Answer 31

Includes the value placed on outputs.

Question 32

How does the Audit Commission (1984) define effectiveness?

Answer 32

The extent to which an organisation meets its objectives regardless of cost.